Member Profiles

Melvyn I. Monzack, Managing Member

Mel Monzack co-founded the firm more than 40 years ago. Mel’s practice focuses on Transactions – Real Estate Development, Land Use and Zoning, Restructuring, as well as Commercial and Corporate Litigation. Known for finding creative solutions to complex issues, Mel works diligently to achieve clients’ goals. He has negotiated complicated workouts with national, regional, and local lenders, structured complex mergers and reverse mergers, and successfully argued before Delaware’s Supreme Court to establish new precedent in the real estate transfer tax arena. Mel frequently counsels corporations and alternative business entities and drafts their shareholder agreements and operating agreements to fit their particular needs. Mel advocates an “open door” policy at the firm to encourage cross-disciplinary solutions for client matters. After receiving his Juris Doctorate from George Washington University, he received a graduate fellowship and went on to earn his Masters in Laws.

Before joining the firm, Mel was an attorney with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC, and later counsel for the Delaware State Police. He has also served as a trusted advisor and officer to several political campaigns at the state and national levels.

Bar Admissions

District of Columbia

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Delaware

United States District Court, District of Delaware

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit

United States Supreme Court

United States Tax Court

Education

University of Rhode Island (B.S., 1962)

George Washington University (LL.B., 1965; LL.M., 1968)

Instructor, Business Law and Industrial Relations, University of Delaware, 1975-1977

Memberships

Delaware State Bar Association

American Bar Association

Business Law Section

General Practice Section

Real Property Section

Probate and Trust Law Section

Litigation Section

Economics of Law Practice Section

Rachel B. Mersky, Member

Rachel Mersky has been an attorney with Monzack Mersky McLaughlin and Browder for over 24 years. Her practice concentrates on Commercial Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, and Civil Litigation. She specializes in representing a wide array of creditors including developers and landlords, officers and directors, former employees, general trade creditors and parties seeking to acquire assets. She also has served as counsel to clients serving on Creditor Committees as well as representing Creditors Committees as local counsel. In her role as counsel to Liquidating Trusts she has pursued a wide range of adversary actions including preferential and fraudulent transfer claims. She also regularly represents creditors defending preference and fraudulent transfer claims Rachel has an extensive knowledge of shopping center law and frequently advises the firm’s national and local shopping center clients with regard to bankruptcy, leasing, and management issues and also negotiates leases and purchase agreements on their behalf.

Before joining the firm, Rachel was a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Delaware, focusing on labor and employment, governmental affairs and criminal matters.

Representative Clients

Acadia Realty Trust

Acadia Strategic Opportunity Fund

Benderson Development

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

Cafaro Northwest Partnership

City of Baxter Springs, KS

Fedders Liquidating Trust (Creditors’ Committee)

Gottbetter Capitol Finance

Kerry K. Killinger (former CEO, Washington Mutual)

Kimco Realty Corporation

Meadowcraft, Inc. (Creditors’ Committee)

PacTrust

Park Cattle Company

People’s Capital and Leasing Corp.

Samson Resources Company

TD Bank, N.A. (Formerly Commerce Bank)

Swan Transportation (Tort Claimants Creditors’ Committee)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Involvement in Major Bankruptcy Cases

AES Thames, LLC

Alabama Aircraft

American Home Mortgage

Buffet Holdings, Inc.

Carolina Fluids

Chef Solutions

Coach Am Group Holdings

Conex Holdings, LLC

DBSI

Fleming Companies

Fluid Routing Solutions

Fedders North America, Inc.

Flying J, Inc.

Friendly Ice Cream Corp.

Goody’s Family Clothing, Inc.

Hancock Fabrics

IT Group

KB Toys, Inc.

Intergrated Health Services, Inc.

Jackson Hewitt Tax Services Corp.

Linens and Things

Magna Entertainment Corp.

Mariner Health Group, Inc.

Meadowcraft, Inc.

Mervyn’s Holdings, LLC

Montgomery Wards

New Century

Nortel Networks

Pemco World Air Services, Inc.

Perkins and Marie Callender, Inc.

Pure Beauty

Ritz Camera

SemCrude, L.P.

Swan Transportation

Trade Secrets

Tropicana Entertainment, LLC

Ultimate Acquisitions

US Concrete

Washington Mutual

W.R. Grace

Bar Admissions

Delaware, 1981

United States District Court, District of Delaware, 1982

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1994

United States Tax Court, 1993

Education

University of Delaware (B.A., 1978)

Gonzaga University (J.D. 1981)

Order of Barristers

Jessup Cup International Law Moot Court

Memberships

Delaware State Bar Association

American Bar Association

American Bankruptcy Institute

International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation

Delaware Commission for Women (1983-1986)

International Council of Shopping Centers

Languages

Spanish

Brian J. McLaughlin, Member

Brian’s practice focuses on Commercial Transactions, Real Estate, Bankruptcy, Creditor Rights and Civil Litigation. Brian works with clients in structuring and negotiating commercial real estate and business transactions including counseling clients in their review and negotiation of office, shopping center and warehouse leasing and frequently counsels clients regarding zoning and land use issues. Brian has extensive experience in commercial lending, work-out and debt restructuring, having represented national and local lenders as well as borrowers for over twenty years. His work-out and litigation experience provides additional insight in developing successful strategies in drafting transactional documents.

In his civil litigation practice, Brian represents clients in all aspects of business litigation, including general contract disputes, creditor rights, asset recovery, mortgage foreclosures and landlord-tenant disputes. Brian is a certified mediator of the Delaware Superior Court and a member of the panel of mediators serving the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. His role as a mediator adds a unique perspective in resolving disputes without the additional expense of litigation.

Brian represents secured and unsecured creditors, including landlords and trade creditors in bankruptcy matters. He has served as counsel to liquidating trustees in pursuing adversary actions and also regularly represents clients defending preference litigation. His involvement in middle market and mega Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases includes:

Aleris International, Inc.

Linen N’ Things

American La France

Meadowcraft, Inc.

American Home Mortgage

Memorex Telex Corporation

American Safety Razor

Meridian Automotive Systems, Inc.

Bally Total Fitness

Montgomery Ward Holding Corporation

Buffet Holdings, Inc.

Orion Refining Corporation

Centennial Coal

Owens Corning

Channel Master

Pillowtex Corporation

Discovery Zone

Safety-Kleen Corporation

Dura Automotive

Sportsman Warehouse Inc.

Fleming Co., Inc.

Sun Healthcare Group, Inc.

Factory 2-U Stores

TransWorld Airlines

Foxmeyer Drug Company

Ultimate Acquisition Partners

General Motors

US Office Products Company

Goodys Family Clothing, Inc.

Valley Media

Gottsschalks, Inc.

Velocity Express Corporation

Hechinger Investment Company Delaware, Inc.

Verasun Energy Corporation

I.T. Group

Winstar

Lexington Health Care

Representative Clients.

Acadia Realty Trust

Humana, Inc.

Alon USA

Kenwood USA

Bank of the Eastern Shores

Kirlwood Fitness & Racquetball Club

Bank of New York

Mattel Inc.

Beneficial National Bank

Pacific Realty Associates, LP (Pac Trust)

Brinker International

Quest Pharmaceutical Services

Campbell Soup Company

Security Title & Guaranty Company

Cardinal Health

Shell Chemical

Churchill Downs

Siemens Information & Communications

Colorado Petroleum

Stewart Title Guaranty Company

Commerce Bank, N.A.

Susquehanna Bank

Envision Peripherals, Inc.

Synnex Corporation

Ford Motor Credit Corporation

TD Bank, N.A.

Finova Capital

Waste Management Corporation

Bar Admissions

Delaware, 1986

United States District Court, District of Delaware, 1987

Education

University of Delaware (B.A., 1982)

University of Dayton (J.D. 1985)

University of Dayton Law Review

Member, 1983-1985

Case Note Editor, 1984-1985,

Author: “Public School Searches and the Fourth Amendment” University of Dayton Law Review 521 (cited as “worth reading” by the National Law Journal)

Mark B. Holzman Academic Scholarship

Judicial Extern to the Honorable Michael Merz, United States Magistrate, United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 1985

Activities and Affiliations

Delaware State Bar Association

Commercial Law Section

Real & Personal Property Law Section

Bankruptcy Section

American Bar Association

Business Law Section

Real Property Section

Litigation Section

American Bankruptcy Institute

Certified Delaware Superior Court Mediator and Mediator for the Bankruptcy Court- District of Delaware

Mary Beth works very closely with her clients – large and small – to provide a level of communication that only a boutique firm can provide, and to produce results expected from a traditional “big” firm.

Mary Beth practiced with the international firm of Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft in Washington, DC before joining Monzack Mersky McLaughlin and Browder more than 18 years ago.

Bar Admissions

Florida, 1987

Maryland, 1988

Delaware, 1994

Education

Georgetown University M.L.T. 1991

George Washington University (J.D. with Honors, 1987)

George Washington University Law Review, 1986-1987

Stetson University (B.B.A., 1984)

Memberships

Delaware State Bar Association

Taxation Section

Estate Planning Section

Michael C. Hochman, Member

Michael’s practice concentrates on Commercial and Corporate Litigation, as well as Business and Real Estate Transactions and Administrative Law. While focusing on creative and efficient pre-trial resolution, Michael also has extensive jury trial, non-jury trial, and oral argument experience in both Federal and State courts. He regularly advises clients on general commercial law, interpretation of partnership and limited liability company agreements, and matters of corporate governance.

Prior to joining Monzack Mersky McLaughlin and Browder, Michael practiced in Washington, DC with nationally- and internationally-known law firms with their litigation, information technology, and intellectual property practice groups. Michael also was a trial lawyer with the State of Delaware’s Office of the Public Defender, representing indigent clients facing felony indictments.

After receiving his Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School, Michael clerked for the Honorable Myron T. Steele, Delaware Court of Chancery, who later served as the Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court from 2004-2014. He is committed to providing pro bono legal services to those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer and is a volunteer guardian ad litem with the Office of the Child Advocate in Delaware. He has also served as a board member of the Bernard & Ruth Siegel Jewish Community Center in Wilmington, Delaware.

Michael has also served as an advisor and officer for several political campaigns and committees at the state and national levels. He speaks Spanish and has a working knowledge of French.

Bar Admissions

Delaware

District of Columbia

New York

Pennsylvania

United States District Court, District of Delaware

United States District Court, District of Columbia

Education

University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1990)

Boston College Law School (J.D., 1995)

Boston College Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest, Member

Memberships

Delaware State Bar Association

Pennsylvania Bar Association

New York Bar Association

District of Columbia Bar Association

American Bar Association

Richard S. Rodney Inn of Court, Master

About the Firm

Established in 1971, Monzack Mersky McLaughlin and Browder, P.A. is a full service business law firm, primarily focused on Business Transactions, Bankruptcy and Restructuring, Taxation, Estate Planning and Civil Litigation. The firm also represents lenders and borrowers in loan workouts and related transactions.